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Nonetheless, it has a history of producing mouthwatering fare for serious riders and, alongside the aero Venge, the top-line S-Works Tarmac is a bike few roadies would turn their noses up at.

Eye-catching paint job on a WorldTour thoroughbred

In a pro-worthy Dura-Ace and carbon clincher spec, with a stunning red, white and black paint job, this is one eye-catching bike. It also has legitimate racing pedigree, as three WorldTour teams have the Tarmac in their arsenal, and it’s the bike of choice for Spanish climber, multiple Grand Tour-winner and noted steak enthusiast Alberto Contador.

The Tarmac’s frame is a wonderful blend of glorious excess and some stylish, organic design, with lines that bulge and blend beautifully. The down tube is gigantic, and its muscularity extends through a bottom bracket area that deserves the clichéd description of being ‘beefy’ (ideal for Contador then..).

The Specialized S-Works crankset adds a certain carbon swoopiness

The sense of super-sizing doesn’t end there. While it’s a given that a bike like this will have a tapered fork, the Tarmac goes bigger than most with a steerer that requires a huge 1 3/8in lower bearing, all in aid of front-end stiffness, while the aero carbon bar’s massively wide tops are a bit of an acquired taste.

There are some lovely details, too – a hidden seat clamp means ultra-clean lines where the post enters the frame. Yet as it’s accessed from the side, it’s no less convenient than a standard one.

Surgically precise handling

Shimano Dura-Ace continues to impress with its light yet precise shifting. Shimano’s lower groupsets are very nearly as good, but Dura-Ace has an expensive, metallic edge to its shift action that sets it apart. You get a full groupset, apart from the cranks which are in-house FACT carbon items. We’re still not convinced the shifting they offer is quite up to the groupset-matching option, but they’re fine looking, and seemingly rock-solid things.

The Tarmac is one of those bikes that upsets your sense of how cycling should feel. Despite its immense tube profiles, it has a dainty, flickable feel that’s addictive, with the physical volume of bicycle beneath you seeming at odds with its character on the road. There’s a surgical precision to the handling, partly thanks to phenomenal chassis stiffness, but also because it’s just so light.

Climbing is a delight as the stout rear triangle is rock solid during out-of-the-saddle efforts. We did wonder if the exceptionally stiff frame was overwhelming the averagely-stiff (but lovely) Roval wheels, as a little rear brake rub was evident when throwing the bike from side to side, but despite this, there was a sense of total power transfer.

It helps that the wheels are very light, their low moment of inertia offering a lively feel. They’re a useful middle-of-the-road depth too, and braking is very good for carbon, something we put to the test with some spirited wet descending and one chamois-soiling encounter with a delinquent sheep. They come fitted with Specialized’s own Turbo Cotton clinchers, which do a fair job of imitating tubs in both look and feel.

The S-Works isn’t an endurance machine, but is a smooth and refined racer that deserves the ‘superbike’ label, thanks to a chassis that’s truly world class. With a delectable component spec, there’s very little not to love.